Tom Ford Spring 2012

Thus far, I’ve been tempted to try Tom Ford’s Nail Lacquer ($30/each for 0.41 oz.), but didn’t cave on that impulse until I saw the limited edition Spring 2012 line of four colors (all four are swatched on The Makeup and Beauty Blog, and three are featured on The Beauty Look Book). The only color that I found interesting was the platinum toned Silver Smoke, so I thought I’d give it a try.

Generally, Tom Ford’s Silver Smoke Nail Lacaquer is a complex platinum taupe color that has some golden tones in some light. It’s complexity means that it looks very different according to the light that it reflects. All pictures in this post are the same nail polish–Silver Smoke–but taken in different lighting conditions. This is a real chameleon, but all of these are pretty.

The application was smooth and opaque in two coats, although I’d allow plenty of dry time. It didn’t seem to become frosty/streaky as with some high-shine formulas.

In some late evening sun, Silver Smoke turned into a cool gold.

Overall, Tom Ford has made a highly wearable, gorgeous, and rich polish to wear with gorgeous, luxurious fabrics that are the hallmark of his line. There is a lot of multicolor sparkle and color-changing pigment in Silver Smoke… a bit of magic perhaps? At any rate, it’s both bold and appropriate at the same time. It was a good choice for me to try out this line, and I’m sure because I love metallic accents that it is a color that I’ll use often.

I picked up a few items from Tom Ford Spring 2012 collection, a series of limited edition items based on a metallic, multidimensional texture. Here, I’m reviewing the Cream Color for Eyes in 01 Platinum and 02 Guilt ($40/each). Both smooth creams are in heavy glass containers, with 0.21 oz. of product. This $40 Tom Ford item includes more product than the 0.14 oz. in the Chanel Illussion D’Ombre (which sell for $36).

Chanel’s Illusion D’Ombre which are a cross-linked gel, which tends to hold together like a gummy bear–indeed, my Chanel’s still behave nicely, have plenty of moisture, and apply well although they are several months old. In contrast, Tom Ford’s Cream Eyeshadow have a soft, soufflé buttery texture almost like the inside filling of an excellent French macaron. Both lines have a texture that is unbelievably complicated–I would imagine it is nearly impossible to get this type of complexity and depth in a powder.

There are four colors in the release (all swatched here on Karlasugar), but I limited my selection to two–a warm golden Guilt, and a cool minky brown called Platinum. The price for these is high–although not as high as the $700 Tom Ford velvet slippers that I tried on just to confirm that they were fabulous (they were). But at $40 each, the total for one eyeshadow approaches the cost of a single palette in nearly any other high end beauty brand, and the $80 for both of these is equal to a palette in Mr. Ford’s own line.

First up, Guilt is an over-the-top beautifully sparkling pot of richness:

The label:

Second, there was Platinum, an extremely complicated brown-taupe, which goes on more silvery on my eye that it does on my arm. Again, this looks very brown in the pot, but more silvery mink when applied:

Label:

Swatches:

This combination reminds me of two Guerlain Terracotta liners from a few seasons back (Gold Rush and Smoky Metal), but the texture, color, and overall look of these Tom Ford Creams is far superior. The Tom Ford’s are so easy to apply and to blend, and to get a quick, sophisticated look.

I used Guilt on my inner lid, then dabbed Platinum in the crease and outward from that. I used my finger, although a concealer brush would work well too. So pretty! Platinum applied slightly cooler and the silvery sheen really came out. The colors have a slight micro sparkle that’s absolutely lovely. So far so good. I hope that I don’t fall completely in love with these, or I’ll need the two remaining colors. I’ve paid so much for these, I know I’ll make a point to use them over the next several weeks to see how much of a dent I can make. They’re gorgeous, flattering and universal colors.

At $40, these are clearly a luxury product with a unique texture and complexity. They feel plushy on the lids, and have a luxury look and feel. They don’t emphasize lines, bumps. They can be worn sheerly or with heavily for extra pigment.

Some might look at L’Oreal Eternal Sunshine and L’Oreal Bronzed Taupe as the closest substitutes. In my personal opinion, these aren’t “dupes,” given the texture difference, but these will put you in the same color family. The L’Oreal’s don’t have the plushy, buttery feel of the Tom Ford, and they are not as complicated. The L’Oreal’s have a thinner (although highly metallic and pigmented) texture.